In California water news today, Keeping wildfires at bay; New NASA mission plans to map sea level rise from space through 2030; Feds give final OK on fracking in Central California; West coast fisheries record rare environmental victory; Trump is rolling back over 80 environmental regulations. Here are five big changes you might have missed in 2019; Court fights abound in wake of Trump’s regulatory rollbacks; and more …
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Keeping wildfires at bay: “Dorothy Finaldi watched as aircraft swooped across the landscape, dropping load after load of fire retardant near a new housing development north of Boise, Idaho. “It was definitely a wait-and-see what would happen with the hillside because of cheatgrass,” said Finaldi, a Central Foothills Neighborhood Association board member. “Our home was not immediately at risk,” Finaldi said of the wildfire that swept through the hillsides a couple of years ago, “but if we had not had the wildland fire crews, it could have been much worse.” … ” Read more from the Capital Press here: Keeping wildfires at bay
New NASA mission plans to map sea level rise from space through 2030: “NASA has collected data on how seas are rising across the planet for more than 25 years. A new mission is launching in 2020, which will extend that data for a decade. But the data also poses some major concerns. “The sea level rise we see today is unlikely to ever be reversed in our lifetimes,” said Josh Willis, the mission’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. “Right now, we have about one inch per decade of sea level rise, but it’s widely predicted that this rate of rise will increase.” … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: New NASA mission plans to map sea level rise from space through 2030
Column: How do you deal with sea-level rise? “The projected effects of sea-level rise seem overwhelming. How do you begin to tackle them? “I have a belief you start with yourself,” Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath said. For the Encinitas Democrat, that means looking at what government can do to protect and adapt its facilities — roads, sewer lines, train tracks and other infrastructure — that eventually will be taken out by the ocean. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Column: How do you deal with sea-level rise?
Feds give final OK on fracking in Central California: “The federal government took the final step this month to break a five-year moratorium on leasing public land in California for oil drilling and fracking. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued its record of decision on Dec. 12 to formally open fossil fuel extraction in Tulare County, and seven other counties across California’s Central Valley and Central Coast including Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Conservation groups say the decision will put more than 1 million acres up for auction in a state that has vowed to phase out oil production. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Feds give final OK on fracking in Central California
West coast fisheries record rare environmental victory: “A rare environmental success story is unfolding for bottom trawler fishermen in waters off the U.S. West Coast. After years of fear and uncertainty, bottom trawlers, who use nets to catch rockfish, bocaccio, sole, Pacific Ocean perch and other deep-dwelling fish, are making a comeback as a sustainable industry less than two decades after authorities closed huge stretches of the Pacific Ocean because of the species’ depletion. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: West coast fisheries record rare environmental victory
Trump is rolling back over 80 environmental regulations. Here are five big changes you might have missed in 2019: “President Donald Trump has taken historically unprecedented action to roll back a slew of environmental regulations that protect air, water, land and public health from climate change and fossil fuel pollution. The administration has targeted about 85 environmental rules, according to Harvard Law School’s rollback tracker. Existing environment regulations are meant to curb greenhouse gas emissions, protect land and animals from oil and gas drilling and development, as well as limit pollution and toxic waste runoff into the country’s water. The administration views many of them as onerous to fossil fuel companies and other major industries. … ” Read more from CNBC here: Trump is rolling back over 80 environmental regulations. Here are five big changes you might have missed in 2019
Court fights abound in wake of Trump’s regulatory rollbacks: “It’s been a whirlwind year in environmental law, and courtroom action is expected to accelerate in 2020 as President Trump closes out his term. The Supreme Court heard arguments in 2019 in two key environmental cases, and blockbuster battles began in lower benches over the Trump administration’s changes to the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and Waters of the U.S., or WOTUS, rule. Both issues could eventually reach the high court. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: Court fights abound in wake of Trump’s regulatory rollbacks
In regional news and commentary today …
Klamath farms fill holiday potato demand: “Farmers in the Klamath Basin on the California-Oregon border, a primary growing region for fresh and chipping potatoes, have been shipping potatoes in time to reach customers’ holiday tables. Dan Chin of Wong Potatoes Inc., a grower, packer and shipper who grows two-thirds of his potatoes in California and one-third in Oregon, farms organic and conventional varieties including red, yellow, russet, purple, white and fingerling potatoes. He said this is a busy time, as local growers ship potatoes that were harvested in the fall. ... ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Klamath farms fill holiday potato demand
Westlands Water District getting new president: “The New Year is bringing a new president to the Westlands Water Distict’s board of directors. That board unanimously elected Daniel Errotabere as the new president, though he’s not exactly new, having served previously in that role from 2002-2005. Starting Jan. 1, he will replace the district’s current president, Don Peracchi, who previously announced he would step down at the end of the year for undisclosed reasons. … ” Read more from The Business Journal here: Westlands Water District getting new president
TRPA tags 6 Lake Tahoe projects with ‘Best in Basin’ awards: “The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency awarded six projects with last week Best in Basin awards. The Best in Basin awards program is in its 29th year and showcases projects around the lake that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation, and compatibility with Tahoe’s environment and communities. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: TRPA tags 6 Lake Tahoe projects with ‘Best in Basin’ awards
Residents sue to stop Riverside from spending water profits on other city services: “Three longtime residents are challenging Riverside’s annual, longstanding practice of transferring up to 11.5% of water utility revenue to its general fund, which pays for basic city services. Filed last week in Riverside County Superior Court, the class-action lawsuit alleges that Riverside is violating state Prop. 218 by overcharging ratepayers to generate excess water profits for purposes unrelated to providing water. … ” Read more from the Riverside Press-Enterprise here: Residents sue to stop Riverside from spending water profits on other city services
Interstate 5 closed by snow as new storm pounds Southern California: “A new storm barreled into Southern California on Thursday morning, bringing snow that closed the 5 Freeway in the Grapevine and rain that flooded streets. The storm also prompted a tornado warning for parts of the Santa Barbara County coast, which was hit by powerful winds as well as rain. The warning expired at 10:30 p.m., and there were no reports of damage. But the area saw about two inches of rain. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Interstate 5 closed by snow as new storm pounds Southern California
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
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About the Daily Digest: The Daily Digest is a collection of selected news articles, commentaries and editorials appearing in the mainstream press. Items are generally selected to follow the focus of the Notebook blog. The Daily Digest is published every weekday with a weekend edition posting on Sundays.
